


If not This, Then Nothing

by Leszre



Series: /trænˈsendəns/ [3]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: AU_Parallel Universe, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-02 02:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17879267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leszre/pseuds/Leszre
Summary: CMBYN in AU-Parellel Universe spin.•Not-beta-ed,•Con-crits welcome! (I plea thee be ever so kind and gentle.).My Request: though I don’t foresee this from ever happening,please ask meif you, in any way, feel that this drabble is worthy of being shared in any platform other than AO3.





	If not This, Then Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> for the past few days, the image of this short snap-shot didn’t leave me alone. So… here I offer my vignette logo-vomit. hehe

####  **If not This, Then Nothing**

 

A local postal service walks into the courtyard with a handful of letters and a small box. Mafalda peers out through the kitchen window, glancing up, then lets go of the dish into the sink. She bunches up her apron with both hands and wipes the suds from the back of her hands, stepping out of the kitchen. Two exchange pleasantries. Mafalda offers if he would want something to drink but he courteously declines as he hands the bundle to her. She lets out a small sigh with an obligatory half smile.

The afternoon Sun shines into her eyes when she turns around to walk into the villa. Everything in the villa is the same; light breeze brushing the hallway through open windows breathing Italian summer life into it, thin curtain fabric she insistently wash periodically billows softly emanating the faint scent of lavender and chamomile into the air, distant sound of ocean wave lapping lazily against the shore.

When she arrives at Pr. Perlman’s study, she gives a little squeeze on the bundle before she lets go of them and places the parcels on the tray, on top of the pile of similar letters that are stamped with the bright red ‘Return to Sender.’

Cicada swell as the cloud gathers casting the shadow; it’s going to be a shower. Mafalda curses under her breath, quickening her steps. She closes the window of the study first as the late Professor always loved making sure his prized possessions are kept well. Then she runs to the sitting room where the no-longer-in-tune grand piano sat. Mafalda runs her fingers to make sure it doesn’t gather dust.

“Elio!” she bellows, looking up, hoping to have him help her closing windows upstairs.

But there is no answer.

Manfredi runs in and tells Mafalda something in rapid Italian. She tosses a quick, ‘I can’t understand you. slow down!’, as Manfredi spoke in a short hand of a regional Italian. Two hasten their movement to ensure every open door and window, that doesn’t have an awning, are closed. Manfredi steps as quietly as he can into the master bedroom where Annella lies. ‘Is everything okay?’, she asks, her voice rough from disuse. Manfredi assures her that it’s just a quick rain. Annella asks him to leave the windows cracked. He agrees. A few moments later, he comes out from the bathroom with a couple of towels and pads the area below the ajar window. Annella thanks him. He sees the tray from this morning, a bowl with the contents untouched and now cold, gently lifts it by the handle, and walks out of the room.

When Mafalda walks into the adjoining room on the top floor, Elio isn’t there. The room has never slept in although Mafalda religiously changes the sheets, tidies and cleans the room. Elio, after that fateful summer, stays in the other room where his grandpa died. She finds him standing in the balcony with the headphone over his head. He is, yet again, wearing the red bathing suit and the light blue shirt. From here, the distant tiny squeak of the gate to the beach is heard between the sounds of waves crashing into the shore. The hinges used to be greased between seasons.

“Elio, it’s going to rain,” says Mafalda to his back.

Elio does not answer as the cicada swell louder. She dumps out her lungs with a heavy sigh as she moves onto the other side of the room via the bathroom. She sees in passing glance the unyellowed blank spot on the wall where an antique postcard of Monet’s berm used to hang there. Then she clicks her tongue finding Elio’s sheets undisturbed. But she just picks up scrunched up torn memo papers and two empty water bottles.

Mafalda comes back to the room through the shared bathroom, making her visual check around tidying things up as she walks pass. She pauses at the door, looking at the back of Elio who hasn’t moved. She just blinks, taking in a long breath. When she is about to walk out of the room,

“Anchise would be furious,” says Elio quietly.

“I know, I hope it doesn’t ruin the peaches and the apricots.”

Mafalda treads out of the room. With a gust of dusty wet whiff of wind, Elio’s blue shirt and the unruly curls are greeted with thick drops of Italian Summer shower. Elio slowly lifts his chin, closing his eyes, and welcomes the cool rain on his skin.

On the desk, there is a fresh-from-the-print score book of Hayden neatly wrapped in ribbon with a thank you note from his publisher. Right next to it, a stack of recently printed manuscript titled:

_Call Me By Your Name._

 

| | | FIN | | |

**Author's Note:**

>  **Special Thanks To** :(A–Z: this is my AO3 tradition ever since my first post. At the end of each fic I logo-vomit, you’d see this list. *giggle*)  
> BarkingBard,  
> Chrisaki,  
> Debmont8686,  
> fantasyfiction,  
> Kittenpurple,  
> swimmingpools,  
> VesperCat,  
> YoSenpaia,  
> and all those who bothered to click and read this story.  
> \Thank you/ **all** for reading, your time, your interest, and following this AU. :) *muwah*  
> .  
>  **as of May 1st, 2019**  
>  if you'd like to drop a suggestion or have a question about any of my drabbles (i.e. clarification, background, etc.), please click [Request/Q&A page](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18658678) and post your comment. ;)


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